Ammunition feed mechanism for automatic guns



Oct; 15, 1957 H. HERLACH 2,309,562

AMMUNITION FEED MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS File d Aug. 14. 1952 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

ATTO KN EH5 AMMUNITION FEED MECHANISM FOR.AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed Aug. 14.1952 H. HERLACH 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: H- Her/acb irl AT FOIL MESSmmuumon FEED MECHANISM FOR Auwom'ric Guns- Filed Aug. 14. 1952 H.H'ERLACH Oct. 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: Her/ac/l OLM /gMATTORNEHS b 1957 H. HERLACH 2,809,562

AMMUNITION FEED MECHANISM FOR Au'rom'nc GUNS FiledAug. 14, 1952 4Sheets-Sh eetA Fig. 13

. v I 4 I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ I INVENTOTL: Heinrich Her/anal:

AMMUNITIGN rnun MECHANISM non AuroMArrc GUNS Heinrich Her-inch, Zurich,Switzerland, assignor to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, AdministrationCompany, Zurich-(Berlikon, Switzerland, a company of Switzer land 7Application August 14, 1952, Serial No. 304,266. Claims priority,application Switzerland August 18, 1951 7 Claims. (Cl. 89.33)

The present invention relates to an ammunition feed mechanism forautomatic guns which has an ammunition container and a motor-actuated,endless conveyor belt which feeds the ammunition to the guns.

An object of the present invention is to improve an ammunition feedmechanism of this type. Other objects of the present invention willbecome apparent in the course of the following specification.

The ammunition feed mechanism according to the invention ischaracterized by the fact that the conveyor belt is of resilientconstruction and that a cartridge collector is provided on the gunswhich is of such design that it strips the cartridges from the conveyorbelt, the conveyor belt being compressed and forcing towards the gun thecartridges contained in the cartridge collector.

In the accompanying drawing several typical embodiments of the inventionare depicted. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a lateral elevational view of a gun assembly;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the gun assembly;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the feed mechanismin a first embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the feed mechanismin a second embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the feed mechanismin a third embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the ammunition conduit with theconveyor belt;

Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly sectional, of the conveyor belt;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is .a cross-sectional view taken along the line IXIX in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the chain links of the conveyor belt;

Fig. 12 is a view, partly sectional, of the conveyor belt of a secondembodiment; A

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI1IXIII in Fig.1;

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the cartridgeclip of the conveyor belt, in the closed position; and V Fig. 15 is across-sectional view of the cartridge cli of the conveyor belt in theopen position.

The gun assembly depicted in Figs, 1 and 2 is pivotally mounted on aplate 1 with ball bearings. The cradle mount is designated by thenumeral 2, the gun cradle by 3 and the protective armouring by 4 and 5.Two guns 6 are mounted in the gun cradle. The empty cartridge casesejected by the guns are discharged downwards through the chutes 7 and 8.Below deck is provided a crew platform 9 pivoting with the gun assernblfrom which platform the ammunition is fed to the guns. For this purposean endless feed or conveyor belt 19 is pro: vided for each gun and iscontinuously charged with shells by magazines 11. The filled magazines11 are drawn by the gun from the cartridge chute 37, under the action ofthe tensioned conveyor belt springs the next' 2,869,562 Patented Oct.15, 1957 brought successively into the operative position and, whenexhausted, replaced by the crew on the platform 9.

The construction of the conveyor belt is shown in Figs. 6 to 11. Theconveyor belt comprises a plurality of cartridge holders 14 connectedtogether by chain links 15 and springs 16. Each cartridge holder isequipped with, for example, two spring clips 17 which hold thecartridges firmly (Fig. 10). At the'rear end of the cartridge holder aridge 18 is provided which engages the extraction groove of thecartridges and holds them against axial movement (Fig. 6). Arranged ateach end of the cartridge holder is a cylindrical part or neck 19 towhich two chain links 15 are attached. The chain links 15 have aninternal clearance greater than the diameter of the cylindrical part 19and are capable of displacement by a certain amount relatively to saidcylindrical part 19. As a result, the cartridge holders are exactlyequidistantly spaced when the conveyor belt is taut, but they cannevertheless twist in all directions. Barrel-shaped sleeves 20, aboutwhich a pre-tensioned spring 16 is placed, are attached to the ends ofthe cartridge holder. The spring 16 consists of a plurality of componentlengths each of which extends over a plurality of cartridge holders. Ateach cartridge holder the spring bears against the boss 21. Thebarrel-shaped sleeves 24 are provided on one side with a recess intowhich the spring 16 is bent (Fig. 6), whereby rotation of the springrelatively to the cartridge holder is prevented. The conveyor belt soconstructed is extremely flexible. Instead of continuous springs it ispossible to use short, pre-tensioned springs 22 as shown in Fig. 12,extending only from one cartridge holder to the next. The springs 22then bear against abutment shoulders 23a of the members 23 at the endsof the cartridge holders. 7 j

The belt is moved by the feed sprockets 24, 25 (Fig. 2), which aredriven by an electric motor 26. The feed sprockets are provided withrecesses which engage with the necks 27 of the cartridge holders (Figs.6 and 7). In order to accommodate the changes in the length of theconveyor belt at diiferent elevations and to ensure clean engagement ofthe feed sprockets with the cartridge holders the conveyor belt is kepttaut by the pulleys 28 in conjunction with the springs 29, said pul leysbeing slidably mounted in brackets 30. A pulley 31 is provided to guidethe conveyor belt round on to the driven sprockets 24 and 25. On leavingthe sprockets 24, 25, the conveyor belt runs inside a flexible conduit32 upwards to the sprocket wheel 33. To ensure that the belt will adjustitself correctly at different elevations, pulleys 34 are provided at theparts movable with the cradle. A pulley 35 controlled by the tension ofthe spring 36 keeps the conveyor belt taut.

The sprocket wheel 33 is driven by a motor through a belt. Fig. 3affords a more accurate picture of the function of said sprocket. Thesprocket 33 has recesses which come into engagement withthe necks 27 ofthe cartridge holders. After the sprocket wheel 33 a cartridge chute 37is provided the inner wall 37a of which projects into the path of thecartridges and scoops the latter out of the spring clips 17 of thecartridge holders. chute 37 leads to thegun. Several cartridges arealways accumulated in front of the inlet to the cartridge chute. Thesprings 16 or 22, as the case maybe, of the conveyor chain are tensionedby the action of the driven sprocket wheel 33. As soon as the undermostcartridge is withcartridge is inserted in the cartridge chute and theentire stack of cartridges in the cartridge chute 37 advances one pace.The letter A designates the diagram of a portion, located betweentwoadjacent cartridge holders, of the conveyor belt spring. Since severalsuch portions of The cartridge spring are compressed together in frontof the inlet to the ammunition chute, the efiective cartridge feedspring yields a diagram as shown at B. Diagram B is of fairly gentlegradient, i. e.,. the difference in the spring forces during the variousphases of the conveyance of the cartridges is very small. In front ofthe inlet to the cartridge chute 37 the vacated cartridge holders 14pass downwards through a further flexible conduit 38 to the springloadedpulley 28. A lever 59 pivotally mounted on the pin 60 and standing underthe action of the spring 61 messes the empty cartridge holders afterentering against a brake lining 58 mounted on the opposite side of theconduit 38. This arrangement damps the fall of the cartridgeholders andthe oscillation of the spring provided in the conduit 38. Locatedbetween the pulley 28 and the redirecting pulley 31 are the magazineboxes 11 from which, in a manner not shown in the drawing, the cartridgeholders 14' are charged with cartridges. For the purpose of replenishingthe supply of cartridges, a member of the crew inserts filled magazineboxes from that side which is the left side in Fig. 1, the empty boxespassing on to the shelves 12 and being removed therefrom by a second.member of the crew. The manner in which the arrangement functions isreadily apparent from the foregoing description.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the cartridge chute. In thisembodiment two guns are simultaneously supplied with cartridges from oneconveyor belt. For this purpose a forked cartridge chute 39 is provided.The manner in which the arrangement functions is the same as describedin reference to the preceding embodiment.

Still a further embodiment of the cartridge chute is shown in Fig. 5.Here the cartridge chute 40 is provided on its outer side with a slotand is of arcuate form. At the centre of the circle of which the chute40 describes an arc is provided a pivot 41 on which a pawl carrier 42 ispivotally mounted. The pawl carrier is provided with a plurality ofpawls 43 each of which engages a cartridge and is equipped with anactuating spring not shown in the drawing. T he. pawl carrier 42isconnected to a projection 45 on the casing 46- of the conveyor belt bya spring- 44. A lever 47,, which engages the pawl carrier 42- and isactuated by the gun, isprovided on the gun. During the firing of the gunthe pawl carrier 42 performs pivotalmotions about its. pivot 41 at eachof which said motions the entire stack of cartridges is advanced by onecartridge. For the rest,,the mannerinwhich the entire arrangementfunctions is thesame as described in reference tov the preceding.embodiment.

InFig. 13 a further embodiment of the sprocket wheel 33'is shown.Arranged on thesprocket wheel casing 46 is a pawl 49 pivotingron a pivot48, which pawl is forced by the spring 50 into the path of the conveyorbelt. The pawl'49 bearsagainst the cartridge holders 14. The pawl 49 andits spring 50 are so proportioned that the pawl cannot be-forced asideby the thrust-exerted by the conveyor belt' springsand: is only pivotedwhen the chain linksbetween the cartridge holder already lodged in arecess of the sprocket wheel 33 andthe'carrridge holder bearing againstthe pawl 49 are in the extended position. In this way, faultlessand-clean engagement of the recesses of the sprocket wheel with thecartridge holders is ensured.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 14 and 15 of the cartridge holder 14the springclip 17 is replaced by a cartridge holding device comprising afixed member 51 and a movable member 52'. The member 52 is pivotallymounted on the pivot 53 and is acted upon by the spring 54 which tendsto force the member 52 against the cartridge. The member 52 is providedwith a neb 52a which projects through a gap in the cartridge holder 14.Atthe inlet to the cartridge chute the neb 52a mounts on a neb 55 shownin Fig. 15; whereby the member 52 is pivoted against the action of thespring54- and'releases the cartridge.

Needless to say, the embodiments shown constitute only a few of the manypossibilities of realizing the inventive idea in practice.

What I claim is:

1. In an ammunition feed mechanism for automatic guns, a plurality ofcartridge holders, an endless elongated belt carrying said cartridgeholders, said belt further comprising separate means engaging twoadjacent cartridge holders and resiliently compressible in the directionof the feed to resiliently press apart said adjacent cartridge holders,said belt further comprising separate connecting members engaging saidadjacent cartridge holders to prevent said adjacent cartridge holdersfrom being spaced apart beyond a predetermined extent.

2. In an ammunition feed mechanism for automatic guns, a plurality ofcartridge holders and an endless elongated belt carrying said cartridgeholders and having resilient means located between adjacent cartridgeholders and compressible in the longitudinal direction of said belt, adrive located adjacent said belt and successively engaging said holdersfor moving the belt and the cartridges in the cartridge holders in onedirection, and a cartridge guide for guiding the cartridges to the gun,said guide comprising a cartridge collector located adjacent said beltin front of said drive, said guide further forming a channel, the widthof which substantially corresponds to the diameter of the cartridges tocompel the latter to take a linear movement, whereby said compressiblemeans during the movement of said belt from said drive to said collectorprovide an accumulation of cartridges to compensate for the differencesbetween the speed with which the cartridges are consumed and which isdetermined by the operation of the gun, and the speed with which thecartridges are moved by said drive.

3. An ammunition feed mechanism as claimed in claim 2, in which the saiddrive includes a sprocket wheel comprising means disposed in front ofthe sprocket wheel and successively engaging the cartridge holders toextend the cartridge holders to their widest mutual spacing before theirentry into the sprocket wheel.

4. An ammunition feed mechanism as claimed in claim 2, in which the saiddrive includes a sprocket wheel, comprising a spring-loaded pawl isprovided in the cartridge conduit in front of the sprocket wheel whichpawl cngages the cartridge holders and retains them with a force whichexceeds the force of said resilient means but is less than theperipheral force of the sprocket wheel.

5. In an ammunition feed mechanism for automatic guns, a plurality ofcartridge holders, a pair of endless elongated belts carrying saidcartridge holders, each of said belts comprising links the number ofwhich is equal to the number of the cartridge holders, each linkcontaining two adjacent cartridge holders, said links preventingexcessive spacing of adjacent cartridge holders beyond a predeterminednormal distance, each of said belt further comprising means engagingsaid adjacent cartridge holders and being resiliently compressible by amovement of said adjacent cartridge holders toward each other forresiliently and yieldably maintaining said adjacent cartridge holders atsaid normal distance.

6. In an ammunition feed mechanism for automatic guns, a plurality ofcartridge holders, separate helical pressure springs located between twoadjacent cartridge holders, sleeves connected to the ends of saidcartridge holders, each of said sleeves engaging one end of saidsprings, and links connecting said adjacent cartridge holders, saidadjacent cartridge holders being shiftably held by said links, saidlinks preventing a spacing apart of said adjacent cartridge holdersbeyond a predetermined extent.

7. An ammunition feed mechanism as claimed in claim 2, in which saidguide comprises an arcuate part in combination, a plurality ofspring-loaded pawls disposed along said arcuate part to-engage thecartridges on their way through the latter part, a support for saidpawls rotatably mounted adjacent to said arcuate part, and driving means5 for said support controlled by the firing rythmn of the 2,557,441 gunto rotate said support and thereby to move the car- 2,586,358 tridges insaid arcuate part at each shot. 2,697,381

References Cited in the file of this patent '5 527 675 UNITED STATESPATENTS 457043 1,273,670 Queron July 23, 1918 486,684 2,265,166 HoppertDec. 9, 1941 720,140

6 Kornblum June 19, 1951 Maillard Feb. 19, 1952 Maillard Dec. 21, 1954FOREIGN PATENTS Germany June 20, 1931 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1936 GreatBritain June 9, 1938 Germany Apr. 25, 1942

